Vienna (dpa) – For the reform of the European football cup from the 2024/2025 season, according to media reports, there is agreement on the last open issues.
Two of the four additional starting places in the Champions League are to go to the two previously most successful national associations, the number of group games per team is growing from six to eight, as reported by the AP news agency, among others.
As previously decided, a total of 36 clubs will take part in the premier class from 2024. A debate had already broken out before the meeting of the Executive Committee of the European Football Union UEFA in Vienna about the entry requirements for the four additional clubs compared to the current season.
In the original model, two spots were to be given to clubs that had a history of success in European competitions but failed to qualify for the Champions League in their league. Among other things, the merger of the European leagues and fan organizations had criticized this. The new regulation is a compromise, wrote the British newspaper “Times”. In the current season, England and the Netherlands would benefit and in the coming season each have one more premier class starter.
The other two additional Champions League places are to go to the fifth-best nation, currently France, and to another national champion who has not been included automatically so far.
The original reform saw the number of preliminary round matches per club increase to ten. According to reports, this should now be reduced to eight. In the current grouping system, each club plays six games before the knockout stage begins. From 2024, a league system will be played in the preliminary round, but not everyone will play against everyone.